The ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu is in a tight spot over the recent two-day State-sponsored international conference to celebrate the greatness of Lord Muruga.
On August 24 and 25, hundreds of devotees and scholars from across the world gathered in Palani, one of the 6 holy abodes of Lord Muruga. They were there to attend the Muthamizh Murugan International Conference, organised by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department.
This was perhaps the first time in Dravidian-politics dominated Tamil Nadu that a religious event was being organised on this scale by the government. What’s more surprising is that this was inaugurated by CM MK Stalin via videoconferencing. Stalin tried to encapsulate this event as part of his Dravidian model of governance which he said believes in “everything for everyone”.
His son, minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, who last year made controversial remarks calling for the eradication of Sanathana Dharma participated in the valedictory function via videoconferencing. He said this event was not just a spiritual conference but also a conference on Tamil culture.
Why did some of the DMK’s allies criticise the government for holding a religious event? Is the DMK trying to change its political course and woo the Hindus?
Presentation: D. Suresh Kumar
Video: Thamodharan B.
Production: Shibu Narayan
